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AirDxb looks to 'take the hassle' out of listing properties on AirBnB

AirDxb founder and director Gregory Lewis says company will form an increasingly large part of Dubai's hospitality sector

By Bernd Debusmann Jr

Thu 06 Sep 2018 01:57 PM

AirDxb, a new Dubai-based AirBnB management service, aims to help investors and tenants put properties up for rental on AirBnB’s platform by helping with paperwork, the listing process, cleaning, guest screening and other tasks, according to founder and director Gregory Lewis.

Speaking to Arabian Business, Lewis said that the overall aim of the company is to “take the hassle” out of the AirBnB process.

“It’s meant for investors hoping to let out their property, or for people who travel and use Dubai as a hub who think that they may as well AirBnB their property and recoup some of their rent,” he said. “For investors who own properties, it also gives agents the flexibility to do viewings.”

Among the services that the company provides is handling the communication with guests, taking professional photographs for the listing, screening guests, 24-hour check-in and key exchange services, and daily market analysis to determine pricing.

Additionally, Lewis said that the service helps users fulfil the requirements and paperwork required by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), which regulates Dubai’s hospitality industry.

“AirBnBs must be licensed for holiday home rental,” he explained. “We follow the government guidelines to ensure that you offer certain things, like fire extinguishers and cutlery, and we register the property on the DTCM website. Going forward from that, every single stay must be registered, and at the end of each month, we send an invoice regarding the tourism fee. We do all that for the user.”

By setting up AirDxb, Lewis said he hopes to take advantage of what he believes will be a growing part of Dubai’s tourism industry.

“We’re looking at a growing tourism industry, and a lot of people like the idea of living like a local, not in a five-star hotel with all the glitz and glamour,” he said. “Also, Dubai is an expensive city, particularly with the costs of flights and going out factored in. But AirBnB opens it up to a different market, which may have previously ruled Dubai out.”

Lewis added that “a lot of investors are worried about rates of return, and holiday letting can give them that stronger rate of return.”

While the service is still in its infancy, Lewis said he hopes to expand to other parts of the UAE and the wider region as more emirates and countries make AirBnB a legal, viable option.